He has got more publicity by going than he ever had when dancing. The press would not have given such coverage to him or ballet otherwise. Dance critics seem ready to pick on the flesh of human unhappiness but never promote dance they don't even mention their own critics awards in print.

I'm a bit surprised that after so many years of being a student and more as a dancer that he didn't have more permanent status. My memory is that it does take a ridiculously long time to get permanent residence in the UK, but I would have thought he'd be close and/or been able to pull some strings to get the process sped up...

So was this a case of it just not being long enough to be a permanent resident or carelessness on his part not to apply as soon as possible?

I have to say, I hope he does not get the extension. Sometimes you need to feel the pain when you make a decision that affects other people...

American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Marcelo Gomes will perform as a guest artist with The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 7:30pm. In his first appearance with The Royal Ballet, Gomes will dance the role of Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream opposite Royal Ballet principal dancer Alina Cojocaru. Marcelo Gomes, a native of Brazil, was born in Manaus and raised in Rio de Janeiro, where he began his dance studies at the Helena Lobato and Dalal Achcar Ballet Schools. He went on to study at The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, and at the schools of the Paris Opera Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Cuballet. Gomes joined American Ballet Theatre in 1997 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 2000 and to Principal Dancer in 2002. With ABT, he has danced numerous leading roles including Solor in La Bayadère, Pyotr in The Bright Stream, Her Prince Charming in Cinderella, Franz in Coppélia, Conrad, Ali, the Slave and Lankendem in Le Corsaire, Espada and Basilio in Don Quixote, Oberon and Lysander in The Dream, Albrecht and the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Armand Duval in Lady of the Camellias, Des Grieux and Lescaut in Manon, Danilo and Camille in The Merry Widow, the Cavalier in Kevin McKenzie’s The Nutcracker, the Nutcracker-Prince in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Onegin and Prince Gremin in Onegin, Othello in Othello, Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, the Moor in Petrouchka, The Man From the House Opposite in Pillar of Fire, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite, Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegfried and von Rothbart in Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake, Aminta and Orion in Sylvia, Diversion of Angels, Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Études, Gong, In The Upper Room, The Leaves Are Fading, Petite Mort, Sinfonietta, Les Sylphides, Symphonic Variations and George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Ballet Imperial, Symphonie Concertante and Theme and Variations Gomes won the Hope Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne (1996) and the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse (2008). Gomes debuted as Oberon in Ashton’s The Dream with American Ballet Theatre in 2003.

In London I was able to attend two wonderful evenings at the Royal Ballet, February 8 & 9. These included the same two works. I enjoyed both very much.

"The Dream" -- Frederick Ashton

"Song of the Earth" -- Kenneth MacMillan

* Alina Cojocaru *

For me, she was one of the real highlights. Having just seen Veronika Part and Simone Messmer in ABT's "La Bayadere" (Washington DC), this was a beautiful continuation. In a post from DC I grouped all these ladies together as, among their many fine qualities, being great 'Actress Ballerinas.'

Performing Titania in "The Dream," Alina Cojocaru was lovable, as usual, and captivating, as usual.

* An Embracing Agility of Mind and Body *

This is one of the things that makes her performances so special. Physically she flowed expressively, sculpturally and breathtakingly into one exhilarating sequence after another.

Her portrayal (acting), at its finest moments, had a Garbo-esque sublimeness.

She is one of the treasures of the current world of dance and theater.

Roberta Marquez

Also as Titania in "The Dream," her delightful and warmly vibrant performance was another personal highlight.

The Corps de Ballet was a great treat as it romped through Frederick Ashton's distinctively alive and personality-plus creation and then did beautifully with the dance patterning and sculptural positionings that made Kenneth MacMillan's wonderfully constructed "Song of the Earth" such an enjoyment.

Among the men, Carlos Acosta ("Song of the Earth"), Steven McRae and Marcello Gomes as Oberon ("The Dream") have to be mentioned for their fine performances. Another personal treat was to witness the brilliant young choreographer, Liam Scarlett, whose excellent "Viscera" I had just seen, actually dancing for a few minutes as one of Bottom's comical friends in "The Dream." He did just fine.

Last edited by Buddy on Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

Glad you enjoyed that RB double bill Buddy, I was at the performance on the 8th and agree with your comments regarding Ms Marquez, she has made great strides in the role of Titania and Steven McRae has made a good start as Oberon. For me though it was Leanne Benjamin who had lured me out on that freezing cold night as her moving, indeed heart stopping at times, interpretation as the woman in Song of the Earth is definitive in my opinion and what a good role the Messenger of Death is for Edward Watson, his sinister presence brings a real sense of menace to the work. A special treat that night was hearing Tom Randle singing the tenor parts of SOTE, an exceptional singer who is massively popular with London audiences; he brought an extra dimension to Mahler's masterwork about the human condition.

Having seen both these works at the time of their premieres in London and having seen most of the cast that have danced in them since, I have to say that the performance on the 8th proved that these ballets from the 1960's are still proving timeless in their appeal.

Was it really that cold, Cassandra? I'm sitting here watching two feet of dreamland snow falling outside my window in Switzerland. It's all relative, I guess.

I do agree with you about Leanne Benjamin. I thought that she gave a touchingly youthful, soulful and sensitively compelling performance. I thought that it was absolutely lovely. She reminded me somewhat of another favorite of yours, Myriam Ould Braham (Paris Opera Ballet), whom I like very much but only know from video clips.

I actually thought that all the other ladies, that I saw featured in "Song of the Earth," also did very well. They were Marianela Nunez, Sarah Lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson. I had a particular affection for the efforts of Sarah Lamb, who, like Leanne Benjamin, seemed to be reaching out to her expressive limits to capture the beautiful poetry that made this work so entrancing.

By the way, Cassandra, have you had any desire or chance to see the David Hockney landscape painting exhibit at the Royal Academy. (There is also a very interesting ten minutes of dancing included at the end of his landscape film.) This exhibit has become an integral part of my memories and appreciation of the remarkable performances that I saw in the last two weeks (Miami City Ballet, ABT and the Royal Ballet). The limitless inventiveness, accessibility and heartfulness of this remarkable painter so reminds me of so much of what we are writing about here.

"You could say that there are two ways of looking at the Royal Ballet's Australian ballerina, Leanne Benjamin. If you look at her close up, you see the wonderfully detailed articulations: the proud set of the head and the expressive angling of it, the long hands without tension, the feet touching earth just so, the roll down through the foot.

If you look at her in long shot, you see that although she stands about five feet two, she dances big: generously, fearlessly, with her long limbs, her light jumps, and high, strong extensions. Vitality and musicality underlie every move. A keen intelligence is visibly at work in Benjamin's fresh and individual interpretations, especially of sensual, bold, complex women, as well as everything from Juliet to Odette-Odile."

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum